Comcast to Use WorldGate for iTV Services

Comcast Cable Communications Inc. plans to deploy interactive TV services from WorldGate as a value-added feature to its basic digital cable subscription in several locations. Comcast customers in Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, Ala. will be offered the service in the third quarter. The iTV options will include updated wea

Comcast Cable Communications Inc. plans to deploy interactive TV services from WorldGate as a value-added feature to its basic digital cable subscription in several locations.

Comcast customers in Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, Ala. will be offered the service in the third quarter. The iTV options will include updated weather forecasts, headline news stories, entertainment links and other features. Comcast is undertaking the upgrade to enhance its digital cable offering and hopes it will help build a strong customer base and expand business opportunities.

Although the U.S. market for interactive television (iTV) has been choppy at best, the increasing penetration of digital television infrastructure may pave the way for more consumer interest in the medium. That’s good for broadcasters (which are defined in this article as encompassing over-the-air broadcasters, cable operators, and DBS providers). Many who have already implemented interactive television have found it to be a great tool for retaining and attracting viewers and bringing in additional revenue. If your station or network is serious about launching iTV, it should look into working with one of the three main providers of iTV integration services in the United States: NDS, OpenTV, and Triveni Digital.

Developers of interactive cable features will be able to navigate across cable platforms and into viewers' living rooms with a new program by Pioneer Digital Technologies, the company said. The new third-party developer program, Compass, supports the integration and delivery of new interactive services through Pioneer

EchoStar's Dish Network has launched a full-time feature that allows customers simultaneously to watch six TV channels and use an interactive menu. The six-net "mosaic" was developed during the 2004 Summer Olympics and used again for the 2004 elections. The service, Dish Home, is available on Dish channel 100 and inc

Comcast Cable is reporting revenue of $5.3 billion for the third quarter of 2005, representing an increase of 9.8 percent compared to the 3Q of 2004. In the 3Q, Comcast reported in its financial statement that it deployed 326,000 advanced set-top boxes "with DVR and/or HDTV" programming capability, ending the quart

Comcast Cable and Microsoft Corp. announced a licensing agreement that enables Comcast to make Microsoft TV Foundation Edition 1.7 software available to up to 5 million cable customers, with the option to expand the rollout at a later date. The Microsoft TV line supports digital video services, such as interactive prog